The true miracle of Israel

The true miracle of Israel

english.aljazeera.com

Israelis and their supporters tend to depict Israel as a country of miracles. What else could explain the country's astonishing "birth" and subsequent survival against all sorts of "existential threats"? How else would Israel develop at such a phenomenal pace, making the "desert bloom" and continually scoring a high ranking amongst developed nations in most noteworthy aspects?

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.ifamericansknew.org

[edit on 30/1/2008 by Mirthful Me]

The miracle of Israel : jewish superiority, the chosen people, a biblical prophecy. How often have we heard and seen this racist propaganda line implemented on the hawkish major news outlets ? The true miracle of israel lies in a criminal swamp of corruption, torture, terrorism, religious fanaticism, collective punishment, and war crimes. And the USA are drawn closer and closer to their rogue role model in a last bid of dominion over world oil reserves.



english.aljazeera.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 30-1-2008 by ergoli]

reply to post by ergoli


The Jewish 'people' are 'chosen' by 'God.'

Notice how no other people, race, or religion makes claims anywhere near as preposterous.

I believe in 'chosen' persons on an individual basis who lead through deed and creed, but to think an entire grouping of people are 'Godly' because of their descent is pretty ridiculous.

Its time we stop letting the Israeli regime off because a majority of its citizens are Jewish.

Atrocities committed by religious people are still atrocities. No manner of propaganda and 'high and mightyism' can change that fact.

End the Palestinian genocide.

Originally posted by ergoli
Meanwhile, Palestinians continue to be depicted as "their own worst enemies", a people who "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity" and who stand outside the parameters of rational human behaviour. Israel is often, if not always, contrasted against a regional backdrop of "backward", "undemocratic" and essentially violent Arabs and Muslims.

It's at least partly true.

The diaspora Jews did have a culture that promoted intelligence, learning, hard work, creativity, and productivity. The fact that Israel was a success was not a miracle at all, rather the only possible logical result. Israel is the Japan of the Middle East, the first "dragon economy". But while East Asia has many other dragon economies, the Middle East has only Israel, target of islamocommunist envy and hatred.

You would think that Palestine and other Arab countries would want a fighting chance, to outperform Israel economically, to beat Israel at its own game. So why don't they?? South Korea started out from virtually nothing, from the poorest country in Asia to one of the richest.

No. Something is holding back the Arab world, and it's not Israel or Zionism. It's their own redneck high-school-jock culture.

I am not particularly anti Israel, but I fail to understand our inordinate amount of support and protection we afford them. I wish we would completely extricate ourselves from the middle east and not look back.

reply to post by IAmTetsuo


Or maybe's it's their morality based on their religion? I don't think many of these people see the glamor in capitalism like the western world does. They don't want to sacrifice what many in the western world sacrifice in order to beat Israel at it's own game.

[edit on 30-1-2008 by ThePiemaker]

We helped create Israel, so we should be looking after it.
It was created for a good purpose, and is continued as such.

Why so much jealousy and hatred toward them exists...inferiority complex I suspect.

reply to post by LockwithnoKey


What was the good purpose?

I AGREE.

I just posted something to another thread that is just as applicable here.

Ahmadinejad tells West: Accept Israel imminent collapse

reply to post by ThePiemaker


To create an Oasis of peace for a deserving people.
As well as an extension of the US for keeping an eye on things in that region.

Originally posted by ThePiemaker
reply to post by IAmTetsuo

 

Or maybe's it's their morality based on their religion?

I doubt it. Malaysia is also (mostly) Muslim, and it has no problem being rich, productive, and "capitalistic".

I don't think many of these people see the glamor in capitalism like the western world does.

Then how come Asia can see the glamour in capitalism just like the Western world? Could it be that democratic capitalism (not to be confused with corporatism) actually works?

Consider that the Muslim Golden Age of 700-1200 or so was one of tolerance and innovation rather than blind tradition and the vicious circle of stubborn envy. It was based on learning, exploration, and yes, trade. Capitalism.

They don't want to sacrifice what many in the western world sacrifice in order to beat Israel at it's own game.

The collective attitude of the Arab-Muslim consciousness is like that of a starving man near death who is afraid to eat because the food might be poisoned. That is hardly reasonable or rational from any point of view.

So how come millions of people immigrate to the Western world, despite its many faults, rather than to the "pure" Middle East? Oh, speaking of immigration ... the only Middle Eastern country with any sort of immigration happens to be Israel. When pride and purity is the very thing that is making you sick, weak, and losing the war ... isn't it time to rethink your strategy? Japan did that in 1870 or so. South Korea did that in 1960 or so.

If I truly hated Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, etc. I would want them to continue with their head-in-the-sand/asses mentality, their love of moth-eaten and malaria-ridden traditions. But no. I want these nations to be strong, healthy, and modern. And like it or not, there are not many paths that lead to that goal.

Originally posted by LockwithnoKey
To create an Oasis of peace for a deserving people.

ALL people DESERVE peace.

But an oasis of such...Israel is NOT. Nor does it show even the slightest bit of promise for same. Nothing new after 60 years!

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

(who said that?!? Albert Einstein? Ben Franklin? Mark Twain? one of them did, anyway)

As well as an extension of the US for keeping an eye on things in that region.

Honestly, it is NONE of our BUSINESS. We do not live in the Middle East. We live in NORTH AMERICA. Half a world away. We must first learn to mind our own business before even PRESUMING to be qualified to butt-in other governments!

LEADING by example is not = stirring up trouble!

I suppose the money the US pours into that country counts for nothing?

U.S. Financial Aid To Israel: Figures, Facts, and Impact

Anyone can ask one of their representatives in Congress for a chart prepared by the Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress, that shows Israel received $62.5 billion in foreign aid from fiscal year 1949 through fiscal year 1996. People in the national capital area also can visit the library of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Rosslyn, Virginia, and obtain the same information, plus charts showing how much foreign aid the U.S. has given other countries as well.

Visitors will learn that in precisely the same 1949-1996 time frame, the total of U.S. foreign aid to all of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean combined was $62,497,800,000--almost exactly the amount given to tiny Israel.

Cash money isn't the only thing of value given by the US.

Economist tallies swelling cost of Israel to US

Other US help includes:

• US Jewish charities and organizations have remitted grants or bought Israel bonds worth $50 billion to $60 billion. Though private in origin, the money is "a net drain" on the United States economy, says Stauffer.

• The US has already guaranteed $10 billion in commercial loans to Israel, and $600 million in "housing loans." (See editor's note below.) Stauffer expects the US Treasury to cover these.

• The US has given $2.5 billion to support Israel's Lavi fighter and Arrow missile projects.

• Israel buys discounted, serviceable "excess" US military equipment. Stauffer says these discounts amount to "several billion dollars" over recent years.

• Israel uses roughly 40 percent of its $1.8 billion per year in military aid, ostensibly earmarked for purchase of US weapons, to buy Israeli-made hardware. It also has won the right to require the Defense Department or US defense contractors to buy Israeli-made equipment or subsystems, paying 50 to 60 cents on every defense dollar the US gives to Israel.

US help, financial and technical, has enabled Israel to become a major weapons supplier. Weapons make up almost half of Israel's manufactured exports. US defense contractors often resent the buy-Israel requirements and the extra competition subsidized by US taxpayers.

• US policy and trade sanctions reduce US exports to the Middle East about $5 billion a year, costing 70,000 or so American jobs, Stauffer estimates. Not requiring Israel to use its US aid to buy American goods, as is usual in foreign aid, costs another 125,000 jobs.

• Israel has blocked some major US arms sales, such as F-15 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1980s. That cost $40 billion over 10 years, says Stauffer.

Amazing what massive amounts of aid, financial or otherwise can do to a desert country, isn't it? Not quite a miracle, but amazing nonetheless.

Originally posted by IAmTetsuo
No. Something is holding back the Arab world, and it's not Israel or Zionism. It's their own redneck high-school-jock culture.

I kinda agree. Arabs who come here act like they're soooooo special. We only tolerate that crap because they bring in lot's of tourist cash. So we cater to their culture by having lots of stuff that you would get in their country. Kinda silly, don't you think? Tourists, getting to another land wanting exactly the same stuff they left back home. I'm not talking about this or that food, no, the whole experience. We've got a little Arabia here in Kuala Lumpur. Why? Like I said, they think they're culture is so hot or something. Whatever. As long as they bring in that oil money and remain big spenders, just smile and wave.

reply to post by IAmTetsuo


Where is your proof of Jewish 'intelligence?'

The Old Testament is rife with violence and hatred against the neighboring peoples.

I do not see a loving God in this picture you're painting, nor do I see an 'advanced' culture.

The Old Testament was written to scare the Jewish people into behaving themselves. They were as unruly as the Babylonians and Assyrians. They did not have any sort of moral superiority, but they would like to believe so and continue this sort of bias today.

Read your history books people, you may learn something new.

And contrary to popular belief, what is accepted as truth is not always the truth.

That is wonderful news!

So does this mean that we can stop sending them 70 billion dollars a year? sheesh

Oh great. Yet another anti-semitic thread. I'm going to ask the mods to create a separate category for these types of threads so the people that love to bash Israel and also blame the Jewish people for the ills of the world - not to mention causing their own deaths in the holocaust - can have a place all to themselves to post their days away without having to even use the ATS search function.

And for those that would rant about this thread not being anti-semitic, when your posts talk derisively about things like "Jewish intelligence", your argument is already lost and your true beliefs are exposed for all to see.

[edit on 1/30/2008 by centurion1211]

I think you misunderstand bigotry and hatred for frustration.

Why do we treat the state of Israeli like a bunch of saints? The government's behavior speaks otherwise.

I have no problem with any people as I've made clear in my entire posting history here.

If you have a personal problem with me, take it up in a u2u.

Newsflash Israel does NOT equal Jewish. Israel is a country and Judaism is a religion. They are not interchangeable.

If you read the bible you would understand what I am talking about jewish intelligence. Do your homework before putting words in people's mouths.

I could sit here and call you Anti-Arab till my face turns blue (and it may be true) but that is not how I roll.

If you want to sit here and point fingers, you need to look into what you've written about other people of the Middle East that you seem to have such a problem with.

P.S. "Jewish" people are Semitic people along with Palestinians. So in a sense, the term 'anti-semite' is not applicable from your interpretation anyway.

I have a HUGE problem with people not taking responsibility for their actions and using the holocaust as a scapegoat for crimes committed in the present.

You need to do some research. A lot.

[edit on 1/30/2008 by biggie smalls]

reply to post by centurion1211




I've never understood the whole anti-semitic thing. Sure, I get the whole Israeli policy thing, but not the anti-semitic thing.

Something the first poster mentioned struck me a bit. Is it that you hate the whole "chosen people" angle found in the Bible? Is that where the resentment and prejudice starts?

Just curious...

If it is, why not invent your own deity and make yourself the chosen peeps?

OK, bad form. I apologize.

But I have to say, I really don't get threads like this one.

Originally posted by biggie smalls
Atrocities committed by religious people are still atrocities. No manner of propaganda and 'high and mightyism' can change that fact.

more wars have been fought over Mohammed and Christ than by any other religion. I'm guessing the crusades, all jihads, the thirty years war etc are then considered atrocities.

What about the war on terror? Bush is a religious person.

wars are atrocities. human death is an atrocity. sometimes they are necessary, other times they are not.

reply to post by Crakeur


Very true. If the thread was about the US I would have brought up the war on terror.

Good point though...

Wars can serve a positive purpose, but there hasn't been a 'noble' war in a long long time.

I don't see any of the conflicts today as life preserving. It would be one thing if we were interfering in places like Darfur and Kenya where we could actually do something.

Its another when an industrialized nation (Israel) attacks its own population (Palestinians).

There isn't exactly an 'fair' fight between Israeli tanks, jets, and heavy weaponry versus Palestinian RPGs, AK-47s, and rocks...

[edit on 1/30/2008 by biggie smalls]